The Truckers’ Report flatbed Hall of Shame.

Hey chaos, im in oregon and i see leavitt trucks loaded like that fairly frequently. But i gotta ask, how do they load those?

 

Man that is just crazy to me.....

 

Load the bunk on the trailer, drive to pole yard. (Load on drom if it's a pole yard that isn't local. ) Pull into yard, drop trailer, break out the long tape measure and pull forward. Blocks are placed in the fifth wheel to lock it (and the bunk) into position. Guy in Pettibone puts the bunk into the fifth wheel. Poles are loaded, everything is tied down. A chain goes from the bunk to the trailer kingpin, lights and air hose extensions are suspended from that. Raise the landing gear, tighten everything back up. Lights, flags, banners as needed, and head out.

 

1-unhook the trailer
2-move the bunk to the tractor with forklift or crane
3-line up the tractor in line and the right distance from the rear of the trailer
4- lift the load to the proper place and hold
5- tie the load to the trailer and the bunk (cross- chain front and back of trailer if possible)
6- connect the extended air lines and light cord 7- suspend the hookup lines to the load

this is how we did it in the 70's
we also used jeeps in the front and manned steering dollies in the back, you haven't lived till you are sitting in a cab 10 inches off the ground with the back end of a 90 foot 100,000lb steel beam 10 inches over head and your job is to steer the back end.

 

They use remote controls these days.

 

Well, I learned something new today.

 

yes they do in most cases
They are still used in mountain country BC,AB in Canada and I have seen them in CO and NM.
They are quicker on winding roads on mountain backroads.

 

watch this for a close look at the way they are tied down.

 

I would have been more comfortable with a 2 axle dolly at the very back end of this and the front part of the beam on a turntable on a low profile step or lowbed with as much weight as you could get forward. I don't like straps keeping it from twisting off that hard turning 4 axle spread.. Just this old guys thoughts...…..

 

Something struck me about your post.

You used the term "Pettibone". This is sometimes referred to as simply "The Bone". Folks in the oil industry didn't know what I was talking about, yet "The Bone" is the workhorse of any oil rig or construction site.

Happiness is a good Bone operator for an open deck driver.



Pettibone was the first to invent the ingenious overhead forklift that can extend the forks. I have been loaded or offloaded with many a Bone. It's amazing what they can do.